Are You The Lion Or The Tamer?

Do you ever feel paralyzed at the sheer volume of tasks you’re juggling? In a study of 1400 professionals that looked at work load, to-do lists, and the ability to manage tasking, three out of five people reported taking on more tasks than they could actually complete. Moreover, 60% admitted to having over 60 personal or work-related tasks per week. And 15% had a whopping 100 tasks. The respondents reported their lists had “become overgrown because they want to be accommodating, helpful and polite (73%), they have a tendency to solve problems (56%) and no clear limits or rules about which tasks they should accept or reject exist (39%).”

As I read through this study, I kept nodding my head, knowing that I also routinely take on too many things. I’m pretty sure my husband would be the first in line to agree with me on that. But as an entrepreneur, trying to manage all the things is a recipe for burnout, overwhelm, and low productivity.

For years, I’ve maintained I work better under pressure. I thrive when I’m busy. But over the last few years, I’ve realized busyness does not equal real productivity. And it certainly doesn’t always translate to revenue in the business.

This point was really well illustrated to me when I stumbled across a random video about setting strategic priorities. In it, the guy told the story about Clyde Beatty, a successful lion tamer who defied the odds and managed to live well into his 60s. In fact, Clyde didn’t pass away from a rogue animal attack in the circus ring, but rather cancer.

So, how did he survive his famous “fighting act” when many of his peers didn’t?

It was the power of the stool.

Some of the most iconic images of lion tamers are ones where the lion is charging at the entertainer, its teeth barred as it lunges for the stool. The whip in the tamer’s other hand cracks loudly as the crowd holds its breath in fear and awe.

But the whip is really only for helping differentiate the tamer’s space from the lions, and of course, it helps put on a good show. It’s the stool that really has the power. Beatty realized that holding a four-legged stool in front of a lion would cause the animal to freeze. When faced with the task of trying to figure out which leg of the stool to attack, the lion would be paralyzed with indecision and effectively freeze.

This real-life example is a great reminder of the power of focus and single-tasking. You already know you’re constantly juggling a lot of balls at once. But in order to make real progress in your business, picking a single thing to focus on – the whip, not the four legs of the stool – is going to make a powerful difference in your business.

I’m a huge believer in setting no more than three to five business goals for the year. I’m an even bigger fan of breaking those goals down into 90-day action plans that are fully detailed with promotional cycles, the tasks needed every single week, clarity on how I’ll be serving prospective clients from start to finish, and building the systems to hold myself accountable.

Without a plan like that, I flounder. I become like the lion, paralyzed with indecision, which of course results in a downward spiral of overwhelm, poor productivity, and lack of follow through on anything meaningful. And the bottom line… no revenue.

As we begin the march toward the end of 2021, what are you focused on? Do you have a robust plan to finish the year strong, or are you juggling too many balls? You don’t have to wait until January 2022 to reset and restart.

Juggling may be cool at the circus, but how about you set the balls down and be the lion tamer instead.

Photo Credit: Image of Clyde Beatty taming a lion with a chair from Harvard Library.